Gwynne Allanford

FURNITURE

May 14

BIO

Gwynne Allanford is a designer and maker in Toronto, Ontario and a recent graduate of Sheridan College’s Craft and Design Program with a specialization in Furniture Design. Her work explores the storytelling potential of designed objects and space, and suggests there is a rotating connection between culture, psychology and design. Her hand-crafted work is driven by a sense of reward that comes from designing in the minds-eye, especially through latent, unprompted thinking. Her particular interest in the dialogue between home dwellers and residential furniture translates to investigations in colour, astute symbolism and humour. Growing up in a large extended family that housed many different touch points for religion, decoration, political perspective and creativity, Gwynne’s interest in the cultural and psychological symptoms of design is driven primarily by an interest in relationships and in uncovering resounding and morally sticky connection points through narrative-driven design.

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CAPSTONE PROJECT

ROOMMATES

Roommates is a furniture collection that uses symbolism and storytelling to communicate the challenging, common, and oftentimes futile struggles of living with roommates. Roommates furniture is designed by taking a story about cohabitation, extracting a symbol and turning it into craft. The final pieces aim to reunify home dwellers with the benefits of storytelling in household furnishings through a methodology that is inspired by traditional religious household craft objects and ornaments. This type of craft delivers spiritual and psychological nourishment through vibrant symbolism and resonant myths. The pieces in this collection are colourful and take up space – in some cases, to fill the void of a missing roommate; in this way, each characteristic helps to communicate a story through craft. This project looks at the home environment as an observer of roommate dynamics and uses furniture design to reflect the struggles of home life back to residents, and this is a way of engaging with the essential human problem of having to live with others well. By incorporating symbolism and storytelling into the quiet space of residential furniture, Roommates believes that designers and makers can nurture the feeling of connection in the home.

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